# David Evans, Baron Evans of Watford

David Charles Evans, Baron Evans of Watford (born 30 November 1942) is a British businessperson and politician. As a Member of the House of Lords, he sits as a Labour peer.

## Early life

Evans attended Watford College of Technology and was awarded the Edward Hunter Gold Medal as best student, as well as being awarded Full Technologist qualifications.

## Career

Following the sale of Centurion Press, Evans founded Senate Publishing Ltd with his business partner Caroline Minshell. Evans was a Trustee of the Royal Air Force Museum and is a Director of the Royal Air Force Museum Trading Company. He is chairman of the Institute of Collaborative Working. Evans was Senior Advisor to Ron Wahid, Chairman of Arcanum Global, a global strategic intelligence company and a subsidiary of Magellan Investment Holdings.
Evans was created a life peer on 28 July 1998 taking the title Baron Evans of Watford, of Chipperfield in the County of Hertfordshire.

### Work for Azerbaijan

Evans has given gushing support of Azerbaijan. He praised the Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR's contracts with BP, celebrated Azerbaijan's victory over Armenia in a 2020 war, and supported Azerbaijan's bid to host COP29.
SOCAR contracted with Evans's publishing company Senate Publishing to produce three glossy books about SOCAR over the period 2015–2019. Evans never formally disclosed to the British parliament that his company was being paid by SOCAR. He defended this non-disclosure, saying "It is Senate Publishing that has contractual business relations with SOCAR — not me. There was nothing to disclose.”
Azerbaijan paid for Evans to visit the country in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020 to serve as an election monitor. Evans praised the conduct of the elections.
Evans has made two spoken contributions in Parlimanent since 2010. One of those contributions was to urge the British government to ask Armenia to inform Azerbaijan about the location of landmines in conflict areas between the two countries.

### Work for Kazakhstan

Lord Evans of Watford is a director of Jusan Technologies Limited, a Kazakh-linked investment holding company. The company sued TBIJ, The Telegraph and openDemocracy for defamation over articles published in early 2022. The claim against the Telegraph was settled in January 2024.

### Cash-for-access allegations

In February 2025, The Guardian published a report alleging that Lord Evans had offered access to ministers - including Housing Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner - in return for a payment of £25,000, as part of a sponsorship of a commercial event in Parliament run by Evans' son. On 4 March 2025, the House of Lords Commissioners for Standards started an investigation of possible breaches of the House of Lords rules.

## Arms

Coat of arms of David Evans, Baron Evans of Watford :
* CrestA demi-Roman centurion the corslet Argent phalerae and pteryges Or the cloak Gules fastened at the dexter shoulder with a brooch Or the helmet Argent garnished Or plumed Gules and holding in the dexter hand a baculum of vinewood Or.
* EscutcheonOr a chevron compony countercompony Gules and Azure per pale counterchanged on the dexter in the Gules a hayhook and on the sinister in the Azure a hayhook contourny Argent.
* SupportersDexter a stag Argent unguled and attired Or and holding in the mouth a raceme of fuchsia also Or flowered Gules sinister a unicorn double queued Argent armed maned unguled and tail tufted Or in the mouth an anemone Gules slipped and leaved Or.
* MottoScripta Edere Cogitata Diffundere.